10 most immersive games that deserve an ultrawide monitor

Gaming is a beloved form of entertainment for PC users, and happens to be one of the major motivations behind their passion for the latest graphics cards and gaming CPUs. While all kinds of games deserve love, most of the hype surrounds graphically impressive titles that aim to deliver total immersion to the player. And what better way to experience these titles than on an ultrawide monitor.

Ultrawide monitors allow you, the player, to better forget your surroundings and become one with the game. Some games are better suited to this unique experience than others, making your ultrawide gaming experience truly worthwhile.

10 Firewatch (2016)

Watch the wilderness come alive

In the idyllic yet desolate world of Firewatch, the atmosphere is everything. When you are trying to peel away the layers behind the central mystery of the game, the world needs to keep you hooked until the end. Firewatch manages to do this beautifully, while also allowing you the luxury of soaking in the sights now and then.

Playing this game in ultrawide heightens the immersion incredibly. As the forest wraps around your field of view, you are all the more aware of the gravity of your situation. The gorgeous yet haunting visuals are no longer just the backdrop, but start to seep into your mind as you explore the story and make your way to the revelations at the end.

You can never have enough of seeing more (courtesy of an ultrawide display) of the beautiful Wyoming wilderness crafted by Campo Santo. One of the most moving video games I’ve ever played, Firewatch is a rare gem that deserves to be played at least once.

Firewatch

A beautiful indie walking simulator in which you must confront loneliness and personal tragedy.

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9 The Long Dark (2017)

The longer your screen, the better

An underrated wilderness survival game, The Long Dark truly felt like a unique experience. I was instantly enamored with the art style, simple mechanics, and immersive world that Hinterland Studios created. And I wasn’t even playing it on an ultrawide monitor.

If you have an ultrawide screen and are actively searching for a game to get lost in, The Long Dark should be high on your list. Featuring a story mode as well as a pure survival mode, the game challenges you to thrive for as long as possible in the brutal conditions of the Northern Canadian wilderness.

The survival mechanics might not be as complex and fleshed out as those seen in other survival titles, but that does not take away from your experience of battling the elements, discovering breathtaking new vistas, and fighting unforgiving wildlife — just to get through the day.

The Long Dark

The Long Dark is a survival-exploration experience set in a mountainous wilderness. You can play the episodic narrative mode or the survival mode, but the stakes are equally high in both.

8 No Man’s Sky (2016)

No man (or woman) should skip this

Hello Games’ No Man’s Sky had one of the worst video game launches in recent memory, but their redemption story was equally sensational. What was once a hollow shell of a vast and singular procedurally generated world, gradually grew into the must-play behemoth that No Man’s Sky is today.

I had gotten into the game when it was initially launched, completed whatever short campaign it had at the time, and abandoned the game after a few sessions of endless grinding and running into mostly the same planet repeatedly. When I see what the game has now become after countless major updates, technical enhancements, gameplay overhauls, and community love, I’m desperate to get back into the game on an ultrawide monitor.

Zooming through outer space in your ship on a large screen, engaging in dogfights, and finding abandoned ruins and rare minerals becomes a whole different experience. If you were one of those put off by the initial reception of the game, it’s high time you gave No Man’s Sky a second chance, especially if you have a great ultrawide monitor to play it on.

No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky puts you bang in the middle of a procedurally generated infinite universe, where you can explore unique planets, establish your base, customize your spaceship, and experience a rich story spanning the cosmos.

7 Star Wars: Squadrons (2020)

One of the best examples of ultrawide mayhem

If you want a more linear, tighter spaceship sim, focused solely on epic dogfights, then Star Wars: Squadrons is an easy pick, especially if you’re already a fan of the franchise. Squadrons lets you play on the side of the Empire or the Rebellion, piloting your favorite ships from the series and laying the enemy to waste.

An ultrawide monitor is uniquely suited to this type of game, where the first-person view means you can really benefit from the extra field of view. When the chaos unfolding on the screen is so addictive, you don’t want to ruin your experience with a regular 16:9 monitor. A widescreen display will allow you to see this game in a new light, even if you’ve already played it before.

Star Wars: Squadrons

Master the art of space dogfighting while piloting your favorite ships from the Star Wars series.

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6 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2024)

Cross the final frontier into ultrawide cinematic gaming

The 2024 Avatar game finally brought James Cameron’s otherworldly creation to the video gaming medium. This is the definitive way to live your Na’vi fantasy, thanks to the faithful adaptation of the source material and, of course, the gorgeous visuals. The movie world hinges on the novelty of the alien flora and fauna, and that’s exactly the feeling this game is going for.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora might not be redefining any gameplay or narrative standards, but it’s one of the few games that demand the best display you can find to play them on. A modern ultrawide gaming monitor will do justice to the game’s scenic environments, enabling you to feel as if you are right in the middle of Cameron’s Pandora.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is an open-world game set within James Cameron’s popular Avatar universe. Discover yourself and the true nature of being Na’vi in a gorgeous and never-before-seen part of Pandora.

5 Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

Simulate the wonder of flight in ultrawide

Few games justify the phrase immersive realism better than Microsoft Flight Simulator. This game might be 4 years old now, but nothing can touch it when it comes to soaking in a vast open world rendered in stunning authenticity.

Microsoft Flight Simulator was brutal on the best graphics cards of its time, and it’s easy to see why. Whether it was the unparalleled detail of the 1:1 recreation of the planet, or the incredible roster of aircraft, the game’s visuals looked almost unbelievable. If you happen to have a great ultrawide monitor, it would be a crime not to fly around the world on the best flight sim available.

The game might be known most for its graphics and real-time air traffic and weather, but the way it handles the actual mechanics of flight is no less impressive. I still count this as one of the highlights of my PC gaming journey, even though I played it on my regular 27-inch 16:9 monitor.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is one of the most beautiful and authentic sims you can play, allowing you to fly around a 1:1 reconstruction of the planet, complete with real-time weather and air traffic info.

4 Crysis 3 Remastered (2022)

Can your ultrawide run Crysis?

The Crysis franchise has always been at the cutting edge of gaming visuals. Whether it was the first Crysis, the game-changing Crysis 2, or the trilogy-capping Crysis 3, these save-the-world experiences are counted among the most immersive and visually arresting games of our time.

Crysis 3 might not be as great as its predecessor in many respects, but where it clearly comes out on top is in its graphical prowess. An ultrawide screen is the definitive way to play the definitive version of Crysis 3. It’s not always that you get to experience cutting-edge graphics combined with sky-high FPS, but thanks to CryEngine, and the power of modern GPUs, you can get that on your ultrawide monitor, even though this game is technically over 10 years old now.

Crysis 3 Remastered

Crysis 3 Remastered is a sci-fi first-person shooter that’s been reworked to take advantage of modern hardware. It still features some of the most advanced and stunning graphics ever seen in a video game.

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3 Elden Ring (2022)

Witness the Lands Between in all their glory

Elden Ring was widely regarded as the game of the year in 2022, and a huge reason for that was the game’s atmosphere. Yes, the story was top-notch, the combat was deeply satisfying, and the boss fights were some of the best in the genre, but the visual immersion made players feel truly connected to the experience.

The impact that stretching this fantastical world across your FOV creates can only be felt firsthand. If, like me, you have been mulling over a monitor upgrade for a while, I would highly suggest you get the best ultrawide monitor you can within your budget. Playing one of the best games of the last 20 years on a great display is something you should not miss out on.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring is an open world Soulslike RPG written by George R. R. Martin and developed by FromSoftware. It puts players in a ravaged realm known as the Lands Between, and lets you play as a warrior to restore the shattered Elden Ring and ascend as its ruler.

2 Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019)

Rockstar’s masterpiece deserves total immersion

At this point, not much more can be said about Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. The original Red Dead Redemption is also available on PC now, but the sequel still remains Rockstar’s magnum opus for PC gamers.

RDR2’s world is less a sandbox and more a shockingly real entity that begs exploration, attention, and eventually, endless admiration. An ultrawide monitor is perhaps the only thing that can make this game more perfect than it already is.

When you are playing a game widely acclaimed as one of the greatest ever, it only makes sense to experience it in the best way possible. Your ultrawide monitor will literally widen your horizons and open up your brain to absorb the unparalleled realism of the game like never before.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s latest open-world adventure, set in the tragedy and beauty of the Old West.

1 Ghost of Tsushima (2024)

No more playing just a ghost of the experience

Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima recently arrived for PC after four years. And what an arrival it was. PC gamers could finally bathe in the lush locales that became the game’s calling cards. Gamers did not even need $1,000 graphics cards to experience this modern masterpiece.

Thanks to this optimization, your ultrawide monitor will be able to handle the pixel overhead that usually accompanies larger screens. The payoff will truly be worth it — Ghost of Tsushima makes the exploration, combat, and setpieces worth every second of your time.

This game genuinely respects the importance of not only beautiful graphics but also a unique art style in crafting an immersive world. It’s not just eye candy for the sake of it. The narrative and the backdrop are perfectly in sync with what your eyes are witnessing on the screen.

Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut

Ghost of Tsushima is a historical adventure that follows the story of a samurai-turned-proto-ninja on a mission to expel an invading force, in a stunning world finally available to experience on PC.

Ultrawide gaming is in a league of its own

Whatever you say about OLED monitors or Mini-LED monitors, the impact that a huge curved ultrawide gaming monitor can have on your gaming experience is unparalleled. There are certainly enough excellent titles on the market to help you get the most enjoyment from your expensive ultrawide display. I’ve covered only 10 of them on this list, but you can enjoy pretty much any gorgeous open-world title on your ultrawide monitor as long as it supports its native resolution.